Designer Earns Time Out's Angel Award

PAYSON PEOPLE

Stacey Borchers gives free haircuts to residents of the Time Out Shelter, for which she was recently recognized with that organization's Angel Award.

Borchers figures it's a way to give something back to a community that has been good to both her and her children.

Stacey Borchers

"I wanted to do something with the churches, but then the Time Out thing came up," Borchers said. "I do it because most of these people can't afford it.

"I know that people who have been in bad relationships have lower self-esteem. I'd rather they come in and get the salon experience and get pampered and feel better about themselves.

"Plus I want to help encourage them to get out and not depend on a man or somebody else."

As so many people who volunteer will tell you, Borchers gets plenty in return.

"I feel like I'm helping other people and it makes me feel better," she said.

Borchers moved to Payson a little more than two years ago.

"I was going through a divorce, and my mom's here," she said. "When I first moved here I went, ‘No way, I'm not staying here. But now I love it and the kids love it."

But Borchers, who is 31, says Payson has one major drawback.

"The only thing is dating," she said. "It seems like most of the guys are 21 and the rest are all married. They move away and come back when they're married."

Borchers mother is Marla Graham, the undisputed Yard Sale Queen of Payson. In a front page story a couple of years ago, Graham expressed her absolute passion for yard sales.

While Borchers says her mother is her inspiration, she doesn't share that passion.

"I don't go with her -- ever," she said. "It's because I live in her house and you would not believe the stuff. She buys something at every yard sale. It doesn't matter where she goes."

Borchers plies her trade at First Class Hair & Nails, where, according to her card, she specializes in extensions, color weaving, haircuts and wedding styles.

Of the above, extensions are by far the most interesting -- primarily because when Borchers worked in the Valley, most of her extension clientele were topless dancers. But first, some background.

"A hair extension is where you make your hair longer by adding hair using, like, glue," Borchers said. "Because you use human hair, it's really expensive -- about $1,200 and it lasts four to five months.

Borchers says she can order hair that matches virtually any color or shade, that most of it comes from Europe, where people actually harvest and sell their hair -- although she doesn't think hair farming would be a very lucrative profession.

Why do people get extensions when they could just let their hair grow long?

"They do it for instant gratification or when their hair is thinning," Borchers said.

And then there are the topless dancers.

"They have fake eyelashes, fake boobs, fake everything," she laughed. "Hair extensions change the way you look instantly and they look so good. It's shiny and it's soft and for a lot of people their hair just doesn't grow this way.

"Almost all dancers have hair extensions."

They can also afford them.

"I did the girls at Bourbon Street, and they make pretty good money," Borchers said. "It would not be hard to make six to 700 bucks a night."

While she laughs about her topless clientele, Borchers says she learned a lot from them, too.

"Once I started working with them I realized they're just like everybody else," she said. "Oh maybe, some of them are a little dingier. But I categorized them as like all doing drugs and that's just not true. They are just people who found a market where they can make money."

As you might imagine, hair extensions are not a real hot item in Payson.

"There are no dancers up here," Borchers said. "In fact, I've only done one hair extension in Payson -- on a musician who wanted to have dreadlocks."

Other than the absence of topless dancers, Borchers doesn't see a whole lot of difference between Payson and the Valley from a hair perspective.

"Everyone is more laid back here, but I still think they care about how they look," she said. "I get the same amount of chemical work and make the same money -- minus the extensions."

Given a recent rumor that topless dancers were performing at a saloon in Star Valley, does Borchers see the day coming when the Rim country will go topless?

"There's no way," she said. "Heck, they keep shutting down places we can just normal-dance in."

Profile

Name: Stacey Borchers

Occupation: Hair Designer

Employer: Self-employed at First Class Hair & Nails

Age: 31

Birthplace: Phoenix

Family: Mother Marla, sons Josh (12) and Chris (9).

Inspiration: My mom is my inspiration in so many ways. She has a strong will. She likes to help people. She's very giving. She's very in tune to other people's feelings and problems.

Greatest feat: Raising two children as a single mom.

Favorite hobby or leisure activity: Playing on the computer, reading.

Three words that describe me best: Thoughtful, caring, kind (according to a co-worker).

Luxury defined: Loving everything that you have; not wanting for anything more.

Dream vacation spot: Hawaii.

Why Payson? Moved here to make a new start and I stayed because everyone seems to be developing well up here.